Friday, November 26, 2004

Back to your regularly scheduled world...

If I was a smart guy, I'd open up a bar in Center City Philadelphia, and call it The Green Zone. The possibilities for decor and theme are endless. Interestingly enough, one of the bistros that I occasionally frequent in the Northern Liberties area of Philly is named Ministry of Information. It's an afterwork happy hour thing. Anyway...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A mortar attack killed four employees of a British security firm and wounded 15 others in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, the company and British officials said Friday...

Tim J. O'Brien, spokesman for the London-based Global Risk Strategies, said the employees were killed Thursday, but declined to say what killed them.

How about a fucking mortar round, Tim? Ya think?

In other news, Puritan America™ continues to ply its trade on unsuspecting teenagers, even as STD rates soar this year. Abstinence-based sex education is all the rage this year (and next, and next, and next...)

Congress last weekend included more than $131 million for abstinence programs in a $388 billion spending bill, an increase of $30 million but about $100 million less than Bush requested. Meanwhile, a national evaluation of abstinence programs has been delayed, with a final report not expected until 2006.

Ten state evaluations, compiled by a group that opposes abstinence-only education, showed little change in teens' behavior since the start of abstinence programs in 1997.

The president has been a strong proponent of school-based sexual education that focuses on abstinence, but does not include instruction on safe sex...

Next up on the BushCo / 700 Club agenda: Headwear for girls! It's great to know that nothing changed while we were eating, drinking, and watching football yesterday. It's life's little constants that keep our feet grounded in reality. [/snark]